![]() ![]() Foynes, Ireland, well-known for its claim to fame for being the birthplace of Irish coffee during this time, served as an aviation hub between North America and Europe, and with the highly anticipated B314 from PILOT’S, virtual pilots too can now recreate the many Atlantic crossings that made the fleet of Pan Am Clippers famous. Known as the absolute quintessential flying boat, the majestic Boeing B314 Clipper is an unmistakable icon of the flying boat era. When England entered the war in September 1939, Pam American suspended its flights between America and Southampton but continued serving neutral Ireland and Portugal with flights to Foynes and Lisbon, respectively.A BASIC version of this add-on is also available - see here for details of the differences between the two versions. The first commercial aircraft to fly around the world One of the beauties of the Pan American Clipper was that for the first time, rather than having to make a long sea voyage, it brought exotic Far Eastern destinations to air travel. On-board the aircraft, men and women were provided with separate dressing rooms and a dining room where white-gloved stewards served six-course silver-service meals prepared by top chefs hired from five-star hotels. With these prices, the Pan Am Clippers were more like up-market hotels than passenger aircraft. Using the Southampton (UK) to New York route as an example, the Yankee Clipper would first stop in Foynes, Ireland, then Botwood, Newfoundland, and finally Shediac, New Brunswick before arriving in Port Washington, New York.Īlmost exclusively the domain of the super-rich, a return ticket between New York and Southampton would cost $675- the equivalent of $12,000 today. Photo: Harris & Ewing via Wikimedia CommonsĪlso, despite its ability to fly great distances, Pan Am would make scheduled stops on its Clipper transoceanic flights. Pan Am Clippers cruised at a relatively slow 155 miles per hour. This meant that a scheduled flight between San Francisco and Honolulu took 19 hours as opposed to the 5 hours and 40 minutes it takes planes to do the journey today. One of the huge differences between then and aircraft we are used to today was the fact that Pam Am Clippers had a cruising speed of just 188 miles per hour as opposed to the 560 miles per hour of a Boeing 777.Īnd, while the Clippers were capable of flying at 188 miles per hour, they typically only cruised over the ocean at a numbingly slow 155 miles per hour when fully loaded. Multiple stops for long-distance journiesīuilt for luxury air travel due to the duration of transoceanic flights, seats on the Pan Am Clippers could be converted into beds for overnight accommodation somewhat similar to what we see in first and business class today. Another key to the aircraft/boat was that in conditions where poor visibility would have prevented a conventional aircraft from landing, the Boeing 314 could land out at sea and then taxi into the harbor. By building a flying boat, Boeing produced a long-range plane that could land anywhere, providing the destination had a sheltered bay. Pan American’s flying boats were the pinnacle of luxury travel at the time.Īt the time of their design just before the outbreak of World War II, very few cities had paved runways capable of accommodating large aircraft. They were called Clippers after the mid-19th-century multi-mast sailing ships, which were designed for speed. In total 12 aircraft were produced at the Boeing factory in Seattle, Washington, with nine entering service for Pan American World Airways. 9 of 12 Boeing 314s built entered service with Pan Am Produced between 19, the Boeing 314 flying boat achieved more than any other aircraft of its time flying from the United States to the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Philippines, Guam, Australia, and New Zealand. One of the largest aircraft of its time, the B-314 used a prototype wing designed for the Boeing XB-15 bomber to give it the ability to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. If you thought that the golden age of air travel was in the 1950s and 1960s, you have obviously forgotten about the Pan Am Clipper and how it crossed the oceans. ![]() The flight, which took the aircraft over Puget Sound, lasted. Eddie Allen, the four-engined flying boat, later christened ‘Honolulu Clipper,’ lifted off from Elliott Bay, Seattle. Flying boats were often the most effective type of aircraft during the first half of the 20th century. DALLAS Today in Aviation, The first Boeing Clipper, Model 314 (NX18601), took off on its maiden flight in 1938.
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